When one of Disneyland's original E-ticket rides, a submarine journey to see "reptilian patriarchs of the deep," was shut down nine years ago, it was the end of an era.

What in 1959 represented the latest in visual and sound effects had become campy - dubbed "fish on strings" by many a Disney exec. Ride attendance was down in the late '90s, and it was time for something fresh, keeping true to Walt Disney's mantra that "Disneyland will never be completed."

Yet reworking such a key attraction isn't easy. It took a white-and-orange fish courtesy of Emeryville's Pixar to give Disney's Imagineers (attraction designers) the inspiration they needed. And last week, the original subs - now electrically powered and bright yellow - were back in action as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.

Disney never wanted his park to become a museum, but the lagoon, where diesel subs built for him by General Dynamic chugged around in the spirit of the 1954 movie "20,000 Leagues under the Sea," had become just that.

Tony Baxter was 8 years old and among one of the first to ride those subs on opening day, June 6, 1959.

He said the alien experience of going underwater made such an impression on him that he went to work at Disneyland - scooping ice cream at first, then becoming a sub captain and later, after studying art, design architecture and theater in college, ending up in his current role of Imagineer in charge of the Nemo project.

He was there the day the old ride was closed, on Sept. 7, 1998. "I was very teary," he said.

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"I vowed I would see it reopen."

At the official opening day ceremony last Sunday, he saw his vision come to life, surrounded by a crowd of Disney and Pixar top brass and press from around the world. Jelly-fish props jiggled in the sky as a live band performed tunes like "Yellow Submarine," and performers in diving suits danced in flippers.

"It's surreal," he said.

Once again the ride features all the latest Disney magic - new computer animation technology and a traveling sound system to show a three-dimensional story through each rider's porthole. Guests see and hear a slightly different show, depending where they sit, but all riders will see the characters the same number of times during the trip.

Disney's saying it's one of the most technologically complex attractions ever built for a Disney theme park.

40 custom colors

The ride's creators made a full-scale simulator and 3-D virtual reality program so Pixar animators in the Bay Area could test the ride remotely with Disney designers in Southern California. To get sturdy waterproof colors that match those so vibrant on the big screen in the film, Imagineers came up with their own paint. Using more than 30 tons of recycled glass, they created more than 40 custom colors with catchy names, such as Toast, Swamp, Danger Red, Split Pea and Burning Coal.

The effect is classy and stunningly beautiful - a world away from the dingy faded look the sub ride had in its later years.

During a media preview ride, shafts of sunlight pierced the lagoon's surface, illuminating the reef's oranges and reds and purples as if it were a real underwater scene. The ride offers a fantasy version of an Australian coral reef, said Kathy Mangum, executive producer and vice president of Disney Imagineering. Coral animation experts from Pixar worked with Disney to re-create the reef seen in the movie.

Riders peer through the portholes watching just about every "Nemo" character talk, swim and frolic - some with the original voices from the movie, such as Barry Humphries (Bruce). An original soundtrack inspired by the film score was composed by Ed Kalnins.

Viewers even get a glimpse of an animatronic version of Darla, the dentist's evil niece. Those who pay attention can also see some features from the original ride, such as those giant clams, moray eels and stone icons from the lost city. The starfish-covered wall that starts the ride off is also quite familiar, and there are still bubbles coming up over the portholes to simulate submersion.

The sub captain has been updated to speak with an Australian accent, in a nod to the movie's Sydney setting.

The ride, now longer at about 12 minutes, still won't sit well with park guests sensitive to being stuck in dark enclosed spaces, but those unable to board can watch from a special viewing area underneath the monorail track near the sub dock via a high-definition porthole cam. With some of the story taking place in total darkness with sirens sounding, red lights flashing and explosions booming, the ride might be too scary for children under 3.

Tots seem impressed

But the 3-year-old we took on a preview of the ride last weekend came through relatively unscathed, happily quoting "Light, please," the rest of the day to anyone within earshot. (In the film and on the ride, a fierce-looking deep-water angler with its own light source and LOTS of big teeth tussles with Nemo and Dory.)

A 5-year-old we rode with closed her eyes during some of the scary scenes but said, "I want to do that again" as soon as she stepped off the boarding dock.

Disney is banking on nostalgia, too, hoping that adults who want to return to a ride from their childhood will keep the park thriving. As remodeling projects go, "this is one of the most highly awaited by guests and us," Disney Imagineering executive Tom Fitzgerald said after Monday's grand opening ceremony.